Leicestershire - Main Page Leicestershire - Main Page People from Leicestershire are called - ? Motto For'ard, For'ard. Claims to Fame: Leicester Longwool sheep The John Taylor Bell Foundry of Freehold Street in Loughborough is the largest in the world and is responsible for making the country’s biggest bell - the Great Paul which weighs 17 tonnes - which rings out from St Paul’s in London. The business began in 1784, moving to Loughborough in 1839. They also made Great George, the 14-tonne giant at Liverpool Cathedral which is Britain’s next largest. The expression “painting the town red” is said to originate from an event in Melton Mowbray in 1837. A few loutish aristocratic hunters led by the notorious Marquis of Waterford, out celebrating a day of success, daubed red paint on houses, pub signs, and the toll-bar there. Traces of the paint can still be seen on older buildings in the High Street.

Melton Mowbray is renowned for the very wonderful raised pork pie that proudly bears the town’s name Melton Mowbray is also the home of Stilton Cheese and Red Leicester, the last product originally made it is said only when the market would bear no more Stilton. Places of Interest Kirby Muxloe Castle connected to William Hastings, 1st baron of Hastings Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics.) is a landlocked ceremonial county of historic origin in the Midlands of England. The county borders Derbyshire to the north-west, Nottinghamshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Warwickshire to the south-west, Staffordshire to the west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-east. Leicester is an English corruption of the Latin "a fort on the river Leire". The 12th Century writer William of Malmesbury referred to the Leire as the Legra.The name was first recorded in 1087 as Laegreceastrescir. The highest point of the county is Bardon Hill at 278 metres (912 ft).

The River Soar rises to the east of Hinckley, in the far south of the county, and flows northward through Leicester before emptying into the River Trent at the point where Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire meet. Leicestershire has a long history of livestock farming which continues today. Robert Bakewell (farmer) (1725–1795) of Dishley, near Loughborough, was a revolutionary in the field of selective breeding. Bakewell's Leicester Longwool sheep was much prized by farmers across the British Empire and is today a heritage breed admired all over the world. Commercial and rare breeds associated with the descendants of Bakewell's sheep include the English Leicester, Border Leicester, Bluefaced Leicester, Scotch mule, and Welsh halfbred. Leicester and Leicestershire has had a traditional industry of knitwear, hosiery and footwear, and the sheep on the county's coat of arms is recognition of this. The local manufacturing industry, which began with hand knitting in the Middle Ages, and was fully industrialized by the end of the 19th century.

The Districts of Leicestershire See the discussion Project Help: How to add Text to a Project - Starter Kit to get you going! How to Participate If you have any queries please start a discussion linked to this project. (See the menu top right). Please add related projects to the menu on the right. If you have links to related web pages that would be of interest to others please add them in the relevant section at the bottom of the page. In order to do this use the drop down menu at the top left of the screen and Join the Project. If this option is not available to you then contact a collaborator and ask to be added to the project. As a collaborator you will be able to edit this page. Add any documents of interest using the menu at the top right of the page, and then add a link to the document in the text under the heading below. If you do not know how to do this please contact one of the other collaborators to assist you. Parish Map See - open full view.

Resources The English Administrative County of Leicestershire The English Administrative County of Leicestershire Leicestershire Arms The Armorial Bearings (Arms) of the County of Leicestershire Adjust the Leicestershire map using controls or drag with mouse Map Centre Position: Lat , Long . Map Zoom Level: - Icon Help (The external website above will open in a new window) Population and area summary of the County of Leicestershire The County of Leicestershire is located in The Midland Counties of England, it covers an administrative area of 2,083Km² and in 2001 was home to a population of 609,578 persons, that represents 1.24% of that of England and 0.01% of the population of the entire United Kingdom. More detailed information including visitor attractions and event venues in Leicestershire is available on this site by following the links below to the Boroughs and/or Districts or follow this link to select a different County . Boroughs/Districts of the County of Leicestershire Unitary Authorities and Metropolitan Areas may be displayed here as they are locations are historically associated with this county/region.

Unitary Authorities and Metropolitan Areas are however self-governing and are no longer responsible to the County/Regional Administration. Unitary Authorities Historical notes about The English Administrative County of Leicestershire LEICESTERSHIRE in 1950 The League of Nations ranked Leicester and Lille as the most prosperous cities in Europe. This ranking must have had some good basis, for prosperity is seldom achieved by accident. Leicestershire is a remarkably compact and self-contained county. If it were suddenly cut off from the rest of the world, it could feed, clothe and house its people. Here is one of the keys to the county's well-being; its economy is varied, and is based upon essentials rather than upon luxuries. In its turn, this results from its geography and geology. Leicestershire is the central county of England . Most parts of it are nearly a hundred miles from the nearest sea-coast - an unusual distinction in this small island. It enjoys a midland climate - indeed, the nearest approach to a continental climate which England knows.

The effect of its distance from the sea is shown in its considerable range of temperatures: in summer it is often hotter than on the south coast by day, but its nights are much colder. This climate has affected the natural resources of the county, and it well know that climatic conditions have wide effects upon human character. The central position of the county made it a vital centre of communications, even before the coming of the Romans, who built their own town of Ratae ( Leicester ) at the junction of the Fosse Way and the Gartree Road. It is still so today: two of the main railways from the north to London , and many main roads, pass through Leicestershire, a fact which has banished the isolationist ideas that might have prevailed in a more detached county. Travellers passed through it continuously, bearing the news or trends of the day. Thus in Leicestershire today are to be found minds which are receptive rather than dynamic: but because of its continual contacts with the greater world outside, there has developed a slight inferiority complex, which often expresses itself in exaggerated self-criticism.

In older days Leicestershire was almost entirely agricultural: indeed, this condition prevailed until a century ago, when the fertile county still provided famous grazing grounds: and although considerable crops of grain and roots are grown today, Leicestershire sheep and cattle are still famous the world over. Indeed, the county can claim to be the nursery of the scientific breeding of animals. When the Leicestershire type of sheep was first bred, wool was as important as mutton, and the long wool of the sheep, nurtured on local pastures, led directly to the founding of one of Leicestershire's major industries. The Hosiery Industry Even in the fourteenth century Leicester was an important centre of the woollen trade - which had begun in Norman times. On the invention of the stocking-frame four hundred years later, the local merchants saw the chance of developing a more lucrative trade. The long staple wool of the local sheep favoured the making of stockings and other hosiery.

In 1792 it was estimated that forty per cent of the population of Leicester was engaged in this trade; the number of stocking-frames in the whole of Britain in 1844 was forty-eight thousand four hundred and eighty-two, and of these twenty thousand eight hundred and sixty-one were in Leicestershire. They were worked by hand and foot - some may still be seen in the villages. The introduction of steam power revolutionized the industry. Here, again, the local resources of the county were invaluable. The Leicestershire coalfield, situated to the south and west of the Charnwood Forest, is small - only twenty square miles in extent - but its position makes it important. One pit is only eight miles from Leicester . Thus, in the vigorous days of the Industrial Revolution, the county had ample supplies of fuel, and was well able to maintain the rapid progress of the day. The old village industries merged into great factories, complete with the most modern machinery for making every king of hosiery. Even American and Russian visitors have been amazed at the huge and efficient plants, which supply not only home needs but a large export market.

Leicestershire hosiery is known and appreciated in every country in the world, for many firms have recognized the selling value of quality above mere cheapness in price. The change in methods has imposed its effects upon the life of the people. Once a family worked a frame at home: then its women travelled into Leicester or some other manufacturing town to work in the factories. Ibstock, reputed to be the largest village in Britain, with a population of over six thousand had, until recently, only one tiny factory and a brickyard, but supplied a large labour force to the towns. Now, however, the de-centralization process is in force, and gradually industries are being developed in the villages and small towns. Hinckley is an important hosiery centre, and factories are in full operation at Coalville , Shepshed , and adjacent places. Leicester 's own industries have over-spilled into neighbouring villages like Syston , Blaby and Earl Shilton . Today the wool of Leicestershire sheep would not supply more than a fraction of the industry's needs. Huge quantities are imported and processed before use. The range of products is now so wide that cotton and rayon goods are also extensively manufactured.

Another major industry also springs direct from the native soil. The extensive grazing grounds, their gentle slopes well-watered and protected from cold winds by abundant trees, provided sustenance for vast herds of cattle - even today dairy farming is a considerable industry, and London draws a proportion of its milk from the midland shire - which is also the home of Stilton Cheese. Manufacture of Boots and Shoes In older days the herds made available large numbers of hides. As a natural result, tanneries were established for the making of leather, and the boot and shoe industry attained some importance. Again, at first it was a local trade, but in the last century machinery was introduced, and today Leicester houses the largest boot factory in the world. The trade employs twenty-tow thousand people, compared with hosiery's thirty-four thousand. Industry breeds industry. Leicestershire people are independent, and like to be self-supporting. Thus in the county there are now considerable engineering works, providing machinery for all local industries and exporting it abroad. Some trades arise automatically from local resources. The ample deposits of clay encouraged the development of a considerable manufacture of bricks and sewer pipes.

The hard rocks of the Charnwood Forest have been quarried for centuries: the streets of London are paved not with gold, but with Leicestershire granite. This does not end the chronicle of Leicestershire occupations. Still more depend on local products, like the making of wicker baskets and chairs. Others have developed from local enterprise, and today Leicester manufactures range from type-writers to optical lenses. One other product may be mentioned. In the seventeenth century Leicestershire was famous for the quality of its pigs - a contemporary writer attributes this to the vast quantity of beans grown and consumed. The numbers of pigs have now decreased, but their fame persists, and Melton Mowbray pork pies are still counted as a special delicacy. This town shares with Market Harborough a wide fame for agricultural products, but the latter centre is rapidly becoming a scene of industrial activity. Thus the greater part of Leicestershire's industries have evolved from agriculture - which, in itself, is still a major industry. In normal times grazing is more important than grain production; it can be worked with fewer hands, and can compete more successfully than grain can with foreign products. Two-thirds of the area of the county is permanent grass.

No house in Leicestershire is far away from the rich green meadows, with their luxuriant hedgerows and frequent spinneys. Yet, although the overwhelming proportion of Leicestershire folk follow the occupations chronicled above, it is notable that to some people the county is merely the hunting shire. It is true that this sport has long been established. The county is a hunter's paradise. The numerous small woods and coverts provide natural breeding-grounds for the foxes. The gentle slopes of the hills, giving broad views; the undulating grass lands, with no precipitous descents, admirable for cross-country gallops; the frequent hedges, to add a spice of excitement; the absence of impassable rivers; the large areas dotted only with tiny villages - all these combined to attract hunting people. By local report, the lush Leicestershire grass was the dominant factor in earlier days, since cattle could be fattened in two years instead of the normal three; they were sold in the autumn, leaving considerable districts free for the chase. Today fox-hunting is gradually becoming a picturesque survival, for it is expensive, and the number of people who can afford it constantly diminishes.

Yet most villages of the county know the thrill of the meet. Local people delight to follow the hunt - some on horseback, some, in these lazy days, by motorcar; schoolboys and other adventurers on foot. Geographical conditions, then, have had marked effects upon local life - intensive in older days, considerable even now. What of history? A man can seldom escape from his traditional background. The city of Leicester is much older than its county. It was a Celtic settlement long before the coming of Romans. They, appreciating the importance of its central position, made it administrative centre, then called Ratae. Later, Angles and Saxons occupied the land, and for a time Leicester was the centre of the kingdom of Mercia - and was the traditional home of King Lear. It fell to the Danes, who left many traces of their occupation - Leicester was one of their five principal Danish boroughs. The Norman impact in the area was only slight, and the basic strain of the local people is a fusion of early English and Danish. Since this was the source of the modern English language, no sharply marked dialect is found in the county.

There is a pronounced accent, especially on vowel sounds, tending towards that of Yorkshire, but there is little trace of those strong provincial dialects which are almost local languages. Where unusual phrases and expressions are encountered, they generally owe their origin to early English rather than purely local forms of speech. It was not until the tenth century that history records the Midlands as divided into shires - a little later the Normans dubbed them comtes, or counties. The boundaries of Leicestershire have changed but little in a thousand years. Geographically they are well formed, for they follow over the greater part of their length the outlines of the basin of the River Soar, a tributary of the Trent. This, together with the gentle gradients of the countryside, permitting easy communications, encouraged the growth of that compact and balanced community to which I have already referred. It is interesting to note that, so far back as records have been kept, the population of the city of Leicester has almost always exactly equalled that of the rest of the county. First effect of a people's history is on its culture. Apart form its churches, many of Leicestershire's buildings reflect the vicissitudes of the years.

Once dwellings had to be designed for defence as well as for living, but most of the ancient castles of the county are now mere ruins. In later years, when security was established, houses became places to live in, and many examples of every period remain, from the magnificent Belvoir Castle to humble cottages. The county is not especially rich in historical buildings. In the capital itself survive the Newarke Gate, the old Town Hall where Shakespeare is reputed to have recited his verses his verses to Queen Elizabeth, some ancient churches, and a few Roman remains. In the shire principal points of interest are Kirby Muxloe Castle, the ruins of a fifteenth century castellated mansion; the old manor house at Peatling Parva; old houses at Thurcaston - one of which is claimed as the birth-place of Hugh Latimer; among the churches sentimental interest is highest at Lutterworth, with its associations with John Wycliffe; and of the ruins pride of place goes to the castle at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, made famous in Scott's Ivanhoe - though most of the "historical" events described therein are fictitious.

A historical site of far greater importance is Market Bosworth, where the battle of 1485 changed the course of English history. A cairn of stones over a spring whence the ill-fated Richard III took his lat drink is the only monumental reminder. The essential feature of local architecture and design generally is practicability. Local materials have been used, ranging from brick to stone. Some cottages were built of blue slate from the old Swithland quarries - now so valuable that a man has been known to pay for his own funeral by selling his grandfather's tombstone. Thus in Leicestershire there are few of the half-timbered houses encountered so picturesquely in the neighbouring shires. Modern building, especially, is of plain brick or concrete. A building is intended for service rather than ornament. This plain, unvarnished utilitarian outlook is a combined legacy from both history and geography. Centuries of comparatively easy life, dependent upon hard work and the utilization of local resources, have bred a reasonably sturdy people, very practical in their outlook.

The county boasts but few famous names among its sons - few artists and poets: but it has produced very large numbers of practical men, from George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends, to Thomas Cook, the pioneer of organized popular travel. Leicestershire has produced no Prime Ministers and very few conspicuous figures, but among the administrators, professional men, technicians and skilled workers who make up the solid body of the nation, her reputation is very high. Her sons are to be found in every corner of the world. Conditions at home have encouraged not a race of romantics, dreamers or philosophers, but a breed of enterprising people of solid worth. This outlook is reflected in the business position. As had been mentioned, the county's industries have been founded upon essentials rather luxuries - principal products are food, hosiery, boots and building materials, which people must have even in bad times. Thus it has always avoided the worst effects of devastating slumps. A region dependent upon a single industry is always in a precarious position - in its most prosperous days it can be on the edge of disaster. Leicestershire's industries are so wide spread that catastrophe could never be complete. (The idea of a mixed economy, incidentally, also applies to agriculture.

It is seldom that a Leicestershire farm is found specializing in a single crop. More usually it produces grain and roots, breeds cattle and sheep, and houses a dairy herd. Thus, if one section of agricultural produce fares badly, the others should relieve the situation.) Although some of the Leicestershire factories are among the biggest in the world, the tendency is towards a large number of medium firms rather than one or two gigantic companies. This is the result of the industries growing out of local conditions. Factories were not planted by outside operations, but were built up and developed from very small local industries, directed by local men. Their practical outlook, however, made the manufacturers realize that there are many problems which are common to them all so that research and technical education are as advanced as in any other part of the country. Loughborough Technical College, indeed, attracts students from every corner of the world. In the town are large engineering and hosiery works, and a world-famous bell-foundry; the war memorial here took an unusual form - a carillon rivalling those of the Low Countries in its range and quality.

The fact that it provided a dignified memorial and at the same time as advertisement of Loughborough's skilled workmanship is perhaps another example of the practical outlook which is so characteristic of Leicestershire folk. The experienced, practical man has confidence in his own ability. Managers are generally far-sighted and progressive, keen on modern adaptations, and alive to the value of adequate publicity. Workers can compare with their like the world over: hosiery operatives help to maintain the high quality of their products, and the output of the Leicestershire miner is the highest in Britain. This confidence in trade and occupation is in strange contrast with the self-criticism to which reference has been made, and which is a Leicestershire failing. No one likes a boaster, but a man who constantly decries himself may gradually sink to the standards of which he speaks. Local pride can be a valuable asset. Because of its central position, and of its small size and population, Leicestershire has seldom had a proper appreciation of its own worth. Due to its comparative prosperity, Leicestershire has known fewer economic disturbances than any comparable county. This, again, is due to local conditions.

Reference has been made to the high output of the Leicestershire miner, who is not merely a good worker, but is more contended than most of his kind. The explanation may lie in his wider interests. There is no such thing as the colliery village, so common farther north, where the miners are virtually segregated from all their fellows. The one-class community is dangerous to morale: it breeds introspection and a short-sighted outlook. If the pit is doing badly, the entire village is involved in the disaster. In Leicestershire a miner may live between a farm worker and a hosiery operative: his viewpoint is broadened: he sees that his is not the only job which matters in the world. This makes him not only a better worker, but a better citizen. And his mine manager also lives in his village, shares his life and his problems, and is readily approachable. This mingling of the population in all classes and occupations is one of Leicestershire's assets. The Leicestershire towns are not distinctive, but fit into the general pattern of our time: especially, they are practical - and clean.

The older features of the county are best seen in the rural districts - in the little market towns, when the farmers gathers, or on the great days of cattle show or an annual fair. Similarly, in studying its education, attention should be given not only to modern technical colleges but to the ancient grammar schools dotted about the county. Too many foreign visitors come to London and think that they have seen England . It is just as big a mistake to visit Leicester and imagine that one knows Leicestershire. Physically Leicestershire is not especially distinguished. Its wide valleys and undulating countryside are relieved scenically only by Charnwood Forest - now, alas, denuded of most of its trees. Once, the geological say, this was a range of great mountains rising from a midland sea. Now the hills are a mere nine hundred feet high, but their fern-clad crests are a welcome playground for the local people. There is little of the picturesque about Leicestershire, but a solid simplicity and a green freshness of great appeal. It has often been called the fortunate county, but this does not imply any lucky dispensation. Nature has been reasonably bountiful, but the local inhabitants have not wasted their sustenance.

They have worked in co-operation with Nature, a sure road to prosperity and happiness. As might be expected by their geographical position, they share the faults and virtues of north and south, east and west. They have some of the stolidity of Yorkshire, but with it a touch of volatility. They rouse easily, but their enthusiasm can fail. They are not brilliant, but exploit what gifts they have. [Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames.] The books displayed above are returned using the search terms 'Leicestershire'. *If nothing is found relating to these terms Amazon will display a selection of books from the general Best Seller list. Selected UK Retailers Melton_Mowbray : definition of Melton_Mowbray and synonyms of Melton_Mowbray (English) Toponymy Melton Mowbray's imposing St Mary's church The name Melton comes from the early English word Medeltone – meaning 'Middletown surrounded by small hamlets' (and therefore has the same origin as places called Milton and Middleton). Mowbray is a Norman family name – the name of early Lords of the Manor – namely Robert de Mowbray .

Early history In and around Melton, there are 28 scheduled ancient monuments, around 705 buildings listed as having special architectural or historical interest, 16 sites of special scientific interest, and several deserted village sites. [2] [3] [4] There is industrial archaeology including the Grantham Canal and the remains of the Melton Mowbray Navigation . Windmill sites, ironstone working and smelting archaeological evidence suggest that Melton borough was densely populated in Bronze and Iron Ages. Many small village communities existed and strategic points at Burrough Hill and Belvoir were fortified. There is also evidence to suggest that the site of Melton Mowbray in the Wreake Valley was inhabited before Roman occupation (43A.D). [5] Roman times In Roman times, due to the close proximity of the Fosse Way and other important Roman roads, military centres were set up at Leicester and Lincoln; and intermediate camps were also established, for example, Six Hills on the Fosse Way.

Other Roman track ways in the locality passed north of Melton along the top of the vale of Belvoir scarp; they linked Market Harborough to Belvoir, and linked the Fosse Way to Oakham and Stamford . Danelaw Evidence of settlement throughout Saxon and Danelaw period (8th/9th centuries) is reflected in many place names. Along the Wreake Valley, the Danish suffix "by" is common, as is evident in Asfordby, Dalby, Frisby, Hoby, Rearsby and Gaddesby. In addition, a cemetery of 50–60 graves, of Pagan Saxon origin, was found in Melton Mowbray. Although most villages and their churches, had origins before the Norman Conquest of 1066, stone crosses at Asfordby and Sproxton churches and Anglo-Saxon cemeteries as found at Goadby Marwood, Sysonby and Stapleford, are certainly pre-Conquest.

Melton Mowbray itself had six recorded crosses the construction of which spanned several centuries: (i) Kettleby Cross, (close to the present Total filling station near the junction of Dalby Road to the Leicester Road), (ii) Sheep Cross, on what was Spital End, (now Nottingham Street/Park Road Junction, (iii) Corn Cross at the Swine Lane/Spittle End junction, (reconstructed and reinstated on the Nottingham St/High St junction in 1996 as a memorial to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps ), (iv) Butter Cross or High Cross, at the west end of Beast Market,(again reconstructed from partial remains of the original Saxon cross in 1986/7 in the Market Place), (v) Sage Cross, at the East end of the Beast Market close to Salt gate,(on Sherrard Street opposite Sage Cross Street), and (vi) Thorpe Cross at the end of Saltgate (near the junction of Thorps Road and Saxby Road). All the original crosses were removed or destroyed during the reformation and other periods of iconoclasm or simply to make room for traffic or other development.

[6] Post conquest The effects of the Norman conquest are recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book . This document indicates that settlements at Long Clawson and Bottesford were of noteworthy size; and that Melton Mowbray was a thriving market town of some 200 inhabitants, with weekly markets, two water mills and two priests. The water mills, still in use up to the 18th century, are remembered by the present names of Beckmill Court and Mill Street. Melton Mowbray has been a market town for over 1,000 years. Recorded as Leicestershire's only market in the 1086 Domesday Survey , it is the third oldest market in England. Tuesday has been market day ever since royal approval was given in 1324. The market was established with tolls before 1077. Legacies from the Medieval period include consolidation of village and market town patterns; in Melton Mowbray, Bottesford, Wymondham, and Waltham-on-the-Wolds. The latter had a market in medieval times that continued until 1921, and an annual fair of horses and cattle.

Many buildings in Melton Market Place, Nottingham Street, Church Lane, King Street and Sherrard Street have ancient foundations. Alterations to number 16 Church Street revealed a medieval circular stone wall subjected to considerable heat. This is probably the `Manor Oven' mentioned in 13th century documents. Surveys of 5 King Street show it to be part of an early medieval open-halled house. It may be part of the castle or fortified Manor of the Mowbrays, which existed in the 14th century. King Richard and King John visited the town and may have stayed at an earlier castle. In 1549 following the Dissolution of the chantries, monasteries and religious guilds, church plate was sold and land purchased for the town. Resulting rents were used to maintain Melton School; first recorded in 1347 and one of the oldest educational establishments in Britain. Funds were also used to maintain roads, bridges and to repair the church clock. Civil War During the English Civil War , Melton was a Roundhead garrison commanded by a Colonel Rossiter.

Two battles were fought in the town: in November 1643, Royalists caught the garrison unaware and carried away prisoners and booty; in February 1645, Sir Marmaduke Langdale , commanding a Royalist force of 1,500 men, inflicted severe losses on the Roundheads. Around 300 men were said to have been killed. According to legend a hillside where the battle was thought to have been fought was ankle deep in blood, hence the name 'Ankle Hill'. However, this name is mentioned in documents pre-dating the Civil War. Furthermore, in the past, the names of Dalby Road and Ankle Hill have been switched around, thus confusing the true site of the battle. Local notable families seem to have had divided loyalties, although the War ended with great rejoicings outside the "Limes" in Sherrard Street, home of Sir Henry Hudson. His father, Robert Hudson founded the "Maison Dieu" almshouses opposite the Church in 1640, which complement the stone built "Anne of Cleves House" opposite. This was built in 1384 and housed chantry priests until the Dissolution.

It was then included in the estates of Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII , as a divorce settlement in the 16th century, although there is local debate about whether she ever stayed there or not. Anne of Cleves' house is now a public house which is owned by Everards Brewery , a Leicester-based brewery. RAF Melton Mowbray Between 1942 and 1964, RAF Melton Mowbray was situated to the south of the village, towards Great Dalby . The Class A airfield was originally intended for aircraft maintenance but was taken over by Transport Command. Many types of aircraft were flown from the airfield, including Spitfire, Mosquito, Corsair, Vengeance, Hellcat, Dakota and Halifax aircraft, plus Horsa and Hadrian gliders. Melton Mowbray served as a Thor Strategic missile site between 1958 and 1963, when 254(SM) Squadron operated a flight of three missiles from the base. [7] The airfield now houses a small industrial estate and much of the original infrastructure has survived. [8] The airfield regularly hosts large "bank holiday" markets.

Pork pies and Stilton cheese The round corner of a blue Stilton cheese, made in the traditional cylindrical shape. Dickinson and Morris Pie Shop Stilton cheese originated near Melton Mowbray, and is still made in the town today. Stilton cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton , 80 miles north of London, where it was marketed to travellers on the Great North Road , though no Stilton was ever made there. Although supermarkets routinely carry pork pies with the label "Melton Mowbray", there is in fact a specific "hand-raising" process and recipe which marks a pie as a Melton Mowbray pork pie. In the centre of Melton, on Nottingham Street, there is Dickinsons & Morris 's "ye olde pork pie shoppe," where one can buy true Melton pork pies. However these pork pies are not made in the shop, as some think, they are now made in a factory outside of town. On 4 April 2008 the European Union awarded the Melton Mowbray pork pie Protected Geographical Indication status, following a long-standing application made by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association .

As a result of this ruling only pies made within a designated zone around Melton, and using uncured pork, are allowed to carry the Melton Mowbray name on their packaging. [9] "Painting the town red" The Fox Hunting crowd also left their mark on the town in a different way, through their "high jinks". The phrase painting the town red is said to have originated in Melton back in 1837. Out celebrating a successful hunt, the Marquess of Waterford and his hunting party found several tins of red paint which they daubed liberally on to the buildings of the High Street, some traces of which can still be seen on doors of older buildings in the town. There is also a picture labelled "A Spree at Melton Mowbray." and subtitled "or doing the Thing in a Sporting-like manner". It is dated 1837, the same date as the Marquess' event. It appears to take place on what is now called Leicester Street and depicts men in hunting clothes climbing on Swan Porch (a building in the market place), fighting and a gentleman apparently being robbed. There is no mention of any red paint.

Of course this sort of thing may have been common in Melton Mowbray at this time and there is no evidence that the picture depicts the same events. What is certain is that the physical evidence appears to support the town was painted red. However this does not necessarily mean that the phrase came from the event, and according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase originated in the United States in the late nineteenth century. [10] The Melton Mowbray event was recorded as happening in the early hours of 6 April 1837. It was later recorded in the London Examiner. Henry Alken's pictures A Spree at Melton Mowbray and Larking at the Grantham Tollgate are said to illustrate the event. The events were depicted in a play called The Meltonians at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1838. [Note 1] Melton cloth Melton Mowbray is home to Melton cloth (first mentioned in 1823), which is the familiar tight-woven woollen cloth which is heavily milled, and a nap raised so as to form a short, dense, non-lustrous pile .

Sailors' pea coats are traditionally made of Melton cloth, the universal workmans' donkey jackets of Britain and Ireland and in North America, loggers' "cruising jackets" and Mackinaws . Governance This section requires expansion . Melton shares a Member of Parliament (currently Alan Duncan from the Conservatives ) with Rutland , which together form the appropriately named " Rutland and Melton " parliamentary constituency. Melton Mowbray Town Estate Melton Mowbray is home to a rare example of early town government. The Melton Mowbray Town Estate was founded at the time of the Reformation, in 1549, when two townsfolk sold gold sequestered from the church and bought land to be held in trust for all inhabitants. The Town Estate provided early forms of education, the first street lighting, and today owns and operates the town's parks and sportsgrounds, and the town's market. The Town Estate is not a public body but a charitable trust run by 14 feoffees (trustees). [11] Melton Town Estate has been criticised for a lack of openness and in 2009, was the subject of a BBC Inside Out programme.

[12] The feoffees' decision not to participate in the programme, according to the Charity Commission , "left the impression that they were not open about their business and did not feel accountable to the public for their actions". [13] Demography This section requires expansion . Melton Mowbray had only 1766 inhabitants in 1801, but in 1831 they had increased to 3327, in 1841 to 3740, in 1851 to 4434, and in 1861 to 4436. The Melton Mowbray official web site's About page lists the current (2009) population of the town as 25,276, and that of Melton Borough as 46,861. Economy Prior to 1960, the Production Engineering Research Association of Great Britain ( PERA ) came to the town on Nottingham Road and employed around four hundred people in supporting research and development in industry. It is also home to the East Midlands Manufacturing Advisory Service .

In 2000, the East Midlands Regional Assembly ( EMRA ) was based in a building also on Nottingham Road. Petfoods came to the town in 1951 as Chappie Ltd, employing at its peak over two thousand people, it now employs around one thousand. It changed its name Petfoods in 1957, Pedigree Petfoods in 1972 and most recently Masterfoods in January 2002. At Melton, it makes four million items of petfood every day, which is less than it used to. Masterfoods now have their UK headquarters close to Melton at Waltham-on-the-Wolds . Landmarks Anne of Cleves Pub Stapleford_Miniature_Railway Melton Carnegie Museum is based in Melton Mowbray. The museum has recently been refurbished and visitors can expect a "hands on", audio visual family orientated experience showing the history and importance of the town. Included are sounds from the ages, a history of the hunt, a preserved phone box, a buried (underfoot and perspex)Saxon and shrapnel from WWII. Melton Mowbray is renowned for its music-making.

The Melton Band (a traditional British-style brass band) can trace its directors back to 1856 and was, until recently, called Melton Borough Band. The colourful Melton Mowbray Toy Soldiers Marching Band was formed in 1936 and Happy Jazz – a dixieland jazz band – has been performing in the town since 1996. There is also the Melton Mowbray Tally Ho Band, formed in 1936, and Tornado Brass, a mixed brass and woodwind group, was founded in the 1980s. Melton has several pubs, some of which, like the Generous Britain (affectionately known as the Jenny B) continue to encourage new live music [14] and the Noels Arms regularly have experienced local bands playing. [15] There are several other pubs in Melton surviving the latest recession, including one of the oldest establishments in the area, The Anne of Cleves. This ancient building on Burton Street close to St Mary's church has features dating from the early 14th century.

Originally home to Chantry Monks the building was taken during the dissolution and given, by Henry VIII to Anne of Cleves as part of the divorce settlement. [16] The town boasts an unusual cinema, The Regal, in King Street in the centre of the town. This is a family run picture house which remains in business despite the rise of the huge "Showcase" groups, providing up to date shows with a personal touch. The building itself is a remarkably preserved purpose-built theatre complete with period interior design, sumptuous colours with winding staircases and fancy plasterwork. [17] Concerts have been played in the carousel bandstand in Melton Mowbray Park since August 1909. There is still a series of concerts on summer Sundays. Melton has its own radio station 103 The Eye which broadcasts to Melton Borough and the Vale of Belvoir, including part of Rushcliffe Borough, on 103 FM as well as worldwide on the internet via its website When the station launched in 2005 it was the first in the UK to go on the air under the new tier of community radio licensed by the broadcasting regulator OFCOM.

The station has since won a number of awards for its work. It is named after the River Eye. The historic Stapleford Miniature Railway built in 1958 is a private steam hauled passenger railway at Stapleford Park around three miles to the east of Melton Mowbray. Famous for its fleet of steam locos and scenic location, it attracts thousands of visitors and tourists during occasional summer openings for charity. It is of the same 10/4" gauge as the Town Estates small railway that runs in an oval around play close park in Melton, albeit a lot longer. Also half a mile to the north east of Melton is the theme park "Twin Lakes" . A locally popular venue this park provides a whole host of family and children's attractions and rides. [18] Melton's Waterfield Leisure Pools offer a range of activities, including a well-equipped gym and fitness suite as well as swimming. [19] The library in Wilton Road is close to the town centre [20] and adjacent is Melton Theatre, part of Brooksby Melton College , on the junction with Asfordby Road.

The theatre first opened in 1976, has recently been refurbished and continues to provide a wide variety of entertainment. In the past few years, it has produced remarkable ballet, opera, and dramatic plays of many types, and provided a venue for many top class bands and acts, pantomime and art displays. It has ample parking, is fully licensed and is a most pleasant place to visit. [21] There is a fire station, a police station, and a hospital, with St Mary's maternity centre, The War Memorial Hospital off Ankle Hill, originally Wyndham Lodge donated to the town in 1920 by Col Richard Dalgleish, has, in 2010, been sold to help fund St Mary's hospital. Education King Edward VII School, Melton Mowbray The secondary schools in Melton are Long Field School and John Ferneley College, which take students aged 11 to 16, and the MV16 Centre (Melton Vale Post 16 Centre) for Sixth Formers.

The town has several primary schools - Brownlow, Grove, St Francis, St Mary's, Sherard and Swallowdale - while the Birchwood Special School caters for young people of primary and secondary school age. Melton's largest school used to be the King Edward VII which at one time had around 2,000 pupils aged between 11 and 19. It was founded as a Grammar School in 1910, became comprehensive in the late 1960s and closed recently after reaching its centenary. Brooksby Melton College which provides vocational, further and higher education in a wide range of subjects has a campus on Asfordby Road in Melton plus a smaller annexe on King Street. These facilities complement those on the college's Brooksby campus six miles out of the town. Transport Melton railway station is on the line from Birmingham to Stansted Airport via Leicester , Peterborough and Cambridge . Trains run hourly in either direction. The service is supplemented with additional trains in the peak on route to/from Nottingham , Norwich and Sleaford . The station is managed by East Midlands Trains although most services are operated by CrossCountry .

CrossCountry intend to enhance their service gradually to half-hourly on this route. Since early 2009 East Midlands Trains have offered a single daily journey from Melton Mowbray to London St Pancras and return. This is notable for being the first regular passenger service to cross the spectacular and historic Welland Viaduct since 1966. In 2010, the company introduced a single daily journey to Derby and return. The majority of bus services in Melton Mowbray are provided by Centrebus. Services link Melton Mowbray with Leicester , Nottingham , Oakham and other regional centres, as well as many of the surrounding villages. Sport Speedway racing was staged at the Greyhound Stadium in Melton Mowbray in 1949. The cinder track was laid before and lifted after each meeting. The events, staged on a Sunday, fell foul of the Lord's Day Observance Society for a short time. The town is also home to one rugby club aptly named Melton Rugby club who compete in Midlands 3 East (North) . The town has its own Sunday Football League in which some 15 teams compete every Sunday.

Asfordby Hill is home to Holwell Sports who play in the Leicestershire Senior League premier division. Notable people LCC - PressReleases Children & Young People's Service - to 2014 18 May 2010 New range of adult learning courses across Leicestershire Classes aiming to improve people’s skills and boost their job prospects are among the exciting adult learning courses on offer in Leicestershire. As part of the national Adult Learners’ Week celebrations this week, Leicestershire County Council has announced the latest adult learning courses which will be available across the County from September. Leicestershire County Council has special offers on the courses. Anyone who books a course by the end of June will receive a 20 per cent discount and anyone who books between June and July a 10 per cent reduction on tuition fees. More than 2,000 courses will be available at schools, colleges, libraries and many other venues across Leicestershire. Courses include computing, English and maths (including GCSEs), word processing, touch typing, website design and using Excel which could help with people’s job prospects. There are many language courses including Japanese, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish.

Arts and crafts courses include painting, drawing and jewellery making. There are cookery courses and sport and fitness classes including aerobics, ballet and pilates. Many are evening courses and many are offered during the day. Ivan Ould, Leicestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for the Children and Young People’s Service, said: “The range of courses offer a great deal for people in Leicestershire. “The special offer for those who book early means they can also receive a discount on the cost of their course.” To find out which adult learning courses are available in Leicestershire and where, visit: Courses which improve people’s skills to boost their job prospects are very important and these are available in all districts. These are called Skills for Jobs courses. For just a few examples of which courses and venues are available in district areas, see below. Many of the course subjects are on offer at many venues across the County.

Melton English for life/maths for life – Melton Library Website creation first steps – Bottesford Community Centre First aid for parents and carers – Melton Library Charnwood English for life/maths for life – Loughborough Moira Centre First steps in computing – Quorn Rawlins Community College Jewellery making – Shepshed Hind Leys Community College Harborough Chinese (Mandarin) – Kibworth High School Get into work numeracy – Lutterworth pre-school group English GSCE/maths GCSE – Market Harborough Welland Park Community College Oadby & Wigston English for life/maths for life – Wigston Bassett Street Centre Drawing and painting – Gartree High School, Oadby Beginners Italian – Wigston Magna Library Blaby English for life/maths for life – Brockington College, Enderby Video editing first steps – Countesthorpe Graspit Centre German – Brockington College, Enderby English and maths GCSEs – John Cleveland College, Hinckley IT skills for employment – Earl Shilton Library Introduction to computing – Newbold Verdon Library North West Leicestershire British sign language – Coalville Resource Centre English for life/maths for life – Ibstock Community College Word

 processing – Coalville Library Leicestershire Leicestershire a county in central England.

836,500; 986 sq. mi. (2555 sq. km). Also called Leicester . * * * Administrative ( pop ., 2001: 609,579), historic , and geographic county, central England. It is located in the East Midlands region; the geographic county encompasses the entire administrative county together with the unitary authority of Leicester . The Soar River crosses the county from south to north on its way to join the River Trent . East of the Soar valley lies a territory famous for its fox hunts. Leicestershire has a pastoral agricultural tradition and is noted for production of Stilton cheese. Manufacturing industries are also important, at Leicester, for example. * * * ▪ county , England , United Kingdom administrative, geographic, and historic county in the East Midlands region of England , bordered by Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire , Rutland , Northamptonshire , Warwickshire , Staffordshire , and Derbyshire . The administrative, geographic, and historic counties occupy slightly different areas.

The administrative county comprises seven districts: Blaby , Harborough , North West Leicestershire , and the boroughs of Charnwood , Hinckley and Bosworth , Melton , and Oadby and Wigston . The geographic county encompasses the entire administrative county together with the unitary authority of Leicester . The historic county is nearly coterminous with the geographic county, but it excludes two small areas: one , in the Charnwood borough east of Wymeswold, lies in the neighbouring historic county of Nottinghamshire ; and the other, in the Harborough district, is the part of the town of Market Harborough that lies south of the River Welland and that belongs to the historic county of Northamptonshire . Leicestershire's central axis, containing most of its population and industry, is the valley of the River Soar, which crosses the county from south to north on its way to join the River Trent. East of the Soar valley lies an upland; reaching elevations of 300–500 feet (100–150 metres), it forms a deeply rural, scenic area.

This sparsely populated upland is the territory of some of England's most famous foxhunts, such as the Fernie Hunt. West of the Soar valley lie the hills of Charnwood Forest, where some of Britain's oldest bedrock is exposed at the surface in the form of Precambrian gritstone. North and west of the forest lies the Leicestershire coalfield, the site of some of the earliest developments of the Industrial Revolution in canal and rail transport. Only a few mines are still open around Coalville. Archeological evidence, much of it from Charnwood Forest, shows that Leicestershire was inhabited during prehistoric times. The remains of a Roman settlement underlie the town of Leicester. The county was invaded by the Angles in the 6th century, and it formed part of the kingdom of Mercia during the 7th and 8th centuries. Danish settlers arrived during the 9th century and gradually merged with the Anglo-Saxon population. Norman nobles and religious orders shared control of the land during the later Middle Ages.

In 1485 Bosworth was the site of the final battle of the Wars of the Roses ( Roses, Wars of the ), which secured the English throne for the Tudor dynasty. Leicestershire's agriculture has traditionally been pastoral and livestock-based. The county is famous for its sheep, Stilton cheese, and pork pies. Its industry is varied, but hosiery has been of special importance. Framework knitting began in the 16th century in adjoining Nottinghamshire and was first introduced into the county at Hinckley in 1640. Both hosiery and footwear are still manufactured, although foreign competition has seriously reduced the industries in scale. In the Soar valley, much of which is occupied by the towns of Leicester and Loughborough and their industrial plants, engineering and the manufacture of machinery are important and sufficiently varied to maintain a high level of employment. Leicestershire is a county of country houses rather than of great buildings. There are fine medieval churches at Leicester, Lutterworth (where the reformer John Wycliffe ( Wycliffe, John ) was parish priest in the 1380s), Melton Mowbray, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and elsewhere .

There is a cathedral at Leicester, and modern universities are located at both Leicester and Loughborough. Area administrative county, 805 square miles (2,084 square km); geographic county, 833 square miles (2,157 square km). Pop. (2005 est.) administrative county, 627,800; geographic county, 915,800. * * *

Question: Which English county has districts called Blaby, Charnwood and Melton?
Answer: LEICESTERSHIRE